Whether they’re building tension or coming out swinging, our list of Top 5 AC/DC Concert Opening Songs proves they’re masters of starting a show with high-voltage rock ‘n’ roll.
The Aussie rockers have never exactly prided themselves on diversity — they gleefully recycle chords to craft a seemingly endless supply of iconic riffs, and they’ve been delivering fairly standard, meat-and-potatoes set lists for decades. Instead, blunt-force impact and relentless, infectious energy have always been AC/DC’s stock in trade.
As a result, most of their show openers over the years have been beloved hits or well-worn fan favorites. And that’s just fine, because no matter what song they choose to kick off their concerts, they always hit like a wrecking ball.
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Read on to see the Top 5 AC/DC Concert Opening Songs.
5. “Hells Bells”
From: Back in Black (1980)
Tours: Back in Black (1980-81) / For Those About to Rock (1981-82)
With its ominous bell tolling and sinister, arpeggiated riff, the opening track off Back in Black offers one of the album’s few moments of respite. It’s a strong bit of counter-programming both live and on record, building the tension to a breaking point before the song explodes into full-throttle metallic mayhem. AC/DC knew they had struck gold with “Hells Bells,” hence why they opened their shows with it on the Back in Black and For Those About to Rock tours.
4. “Back in Black”
From: Back in Black
Tour: Ballbreaker (1996)
It doesn’t get more iconic than this. With its earth-shaking riffs and lighter-waving chorus, “Back in Black” rightfully remains one of AC/DC’s career-defining songs and is precision-engineered to work audiences into a frenzy. Every time the Aussies hit the stage to the tune of “Back in Black” — which they did on 1996’s Ballbreaker tour — they gave fans a blistering reminder that they were back with a vengeance. Don’t try to push your luck, just get out of their way.
3. “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)”
From: Highway to Hell (1979)
Tour: Power Trip (2023) / Power Up (2024-25)
There was a lot riding on AC/DC’s 2023 Power Trip performance. Could these injury-ridden senior citizens still summon the thunder after seven years away from the stage? AC/DC answered that question with an emphatic “hell yes” when they stormed the Coachella Valley with “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It),” the anthemic album cut off Highway to Hell. It was the first time in their half-century career that they’d used it as a show opener, and their first time performing it with Brian Johnson since 2003. It was such a rousing success that AC/DC continued slotting it first on their 2024-2025 Power Up tour. Fans wanted blood, and they got it.
2. “Riff Raff”
From: Powerage (1978)
Tour: Powerage (1978)
One of the hardest, fastest songs in AC/DC’s catalog, “Riff Raff” opens with a series of aggressively strummed chords that practically taunt the audience about the maelstrom Angus Young is about to unleash. After working listeners into a lather, the band crashes in with a steamrolling riff and a groove that just doesn’t quit. Different AC/DC show openers achieve different goals — “Riff Raff” is the perfect tone setter for a sweaty, breathless punk show. For proof, just listen to the incendiary version that opens their 1978 live album If You Want Blood You’ve Got It.
1. “Live Wire”
From: T.N.T. (1975)
Tours: High Voltage (1975) / T.N.T. (1975-76) / Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976-77) / Powerage (1978) / If You Want Blood (1978-79) / Highway to Hell (1979)
No band can wring as much life out of three chords as AC/DC. “Live Wire,” which served as a stalwart show opener in their early years, is a prime example. The song begins with a slow-burning chug, then gathers steam once the vocals enter, with Bon Scott serving libidinous swagger and thinly-veiled menace. “Live Wire” climaxes during Young’s fiery solo, then ratchets up the tension again with a guitar break augmented by cymbal catches. For a song with barely a handful of chords, it’s a masterclass in dynamics — and its 1979 rendition on Let There Be Rock: The Movie – Live in Paris shows why it’s the best concert-opening song in their oeuvre.
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These Aussies are nothing if not consistent.
Gallery Credit: Bryan Rolli
